Aelethia's Hope. Leandra Martin
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over them in the middle of the night until morning. He hardly needed the sleep she noticed.
After she meditated and did some practice spells and focusing exercises, she crawled into her bedroll and curled up. It took her some time to let her mind calm down in order to drift off. There was so much in there. For so long she had thought of nothing else but her training and the path that was laid out before her. What she had to do and what would come, but in the last few days, as they had had hours in the saddle on open quiet roads, she had started to let Dain slip back into her thoughts. She put a hand to her chest now, feeling the necklace from him under her tunic and smiled. Oh, how she missed him terribly and was anxious to get home to him. She hoped that what Sol said was true, and her newfound bloodline and body would not change his feelings for her. She had felt his presence with her in Vallis, felt his heart beating with hers, but it had been long, and she hoped that absence did make the heart fonder and not forgetful.
There would be a long road ahead of all of them. The time for war would come, and everyone in the kingdom would be forced to fight if they wanted to live free. Fallon’s grip had already tightened on half of the kingdom, and she suspected now that he knew she was in the open, his grip would get stronger. He would not let her get away a second time. She had to make sure she was calm and ready for him when he decided to strike. She breathed deep and blew out the fear in her heart. She closed her eyes and drifted off.
***
Fallon was standing in the middle of the room, the sconces of flames creating dancing spirits on the dark walls. The room was cold and smelled of mildew, and the cauldron of fire in the center of the room made shadows on his face. His eyes were open but glazed over, and he was humming under his breath. His hands were over his head, and he was circling the pot. He finally stopped circling and lowered his hands, kneeling down, looking into the flames in a trancelike state. His lips cracked into an evil smile as he spoke.
“Melenthia, how good it is to see you well.”
The voice that came to him was in his head, and the smile grew larger when he heard its echo.
“I’m well, Fallon, and nothing you can do will change that.”
“I can feel your strength, Melenthia. You’re no longer a frightened girl, helpless against my mind-probe.”
“No, I’m not. I’m not afraid of you any longer.”
“Oh, you will be my dear. For now, just know that I sit on the throne, the rightful place for me in this kingdom, and you will be my wife, quietly supporting me by my side.”
“You’re delusional, Fallon, if you think I’ll ever join you. You will lose.”
Fallon laughed now, long and evil. “You’re stronger. I can feel that, but you are still naïve and innocent. You know not how the world works; you’re a woman. The world may believe you are the Chosen One, but I know better. You’re simply a pawn in a bigger game and will soon be eliminated once sacrificed.”
“You have hurt too many people, Fallon. No more.”
“Oh, there will be more, more than you can prevent. Your people, here in your childhood home; most of them were unnecessary. Those that I have not put to good use have been eliminated. Your friend Lucan sends his regards. He went quietly though, no blubbering or whimpering. He simply said to tell you he loved you and wishes things could have been different.”
Melenthia started to shake now. She tried to control the anger that was starting to rear its ugly head. She fought it off with all her strength. That’s what he wants, she told herself. He wants you to become angry, because, once anger takes hold, he can seep into your mind and take you. Don’t let him. Fight.
Melenthia’s heart slowed down and she breathed deep in and out, calming her anger and her sadness at the news that Lucan was dead. Just one more person to have died because of her destiny.
He didn’t get the desired results, so he continued. “You seem to have had an effect on more men than I would have guessed. Well, no matter, there is only one man you are destined to be with and that’s me. I will have you, Melenthia, that you can count on.”
She smiled to herself. Only one man counted now. “It’s too late for you, Fallon. My heart and body already belong to another. You may think that you will get what you want, but you’ll never take me alive.”
She could feel his mind change. He was becoming angry now at the thought of her and Dain together. He had suspected, but didn’t know for sure. Now he did and was enraged.
“That fool that dare proclaim himself king will perish at my hand. For taking my prize he will know the meaning of suffering!” His hold on her started to slip. He was shaking with rage and the connection was fading. She had what she wanted, a way to make him angry and lose his grip on her mind.
“I’ll be in his arms again soon. You’ll never have the pleasure of me the way he does. Your reign on this kingdom will be short, I promise you.”
She felt his anger engulf him. She took advantage of that. She had him. There was a small weak spot in the connection, and she took hold of it and pushed. The connection ended and there was nothing but darkness. She sat up in her bedroll, inhaling a breath, sweat pouring off her face. She was breathing hard and could feel the pounding of her heart under her tunic. She placed a hand on it and calmed herself, getting the strength she needed from the necklaces that hung there. One from Dain, the other from Dallen, her sister in spirit.
Tomaz had been sitting against the bole of a large tree, facing outward from the campsite and heard her stir quite suddenly. He came over to her and looked down. She was still shaking and felt weak, but she was starting to calm. She looked up at him and he squatted down to meet her eyes.
“What is it, Melenthia?”
“Fallon was here. He came again. This time the connection was stronger. I was able to push him away though, but it was difficult. He told me things that made me angry, and I almost succumbed to his touch, but I didn’t. I broke the connection because I made him angry too. He will try again, I fear, and it will not be so easy next time.”
“You are right. Each time you let him get in, he will slowly take you a piece at a time. You must continue to be strong. No matter what he says, you must not let him get to you.”
“I know.”
He smiled. “Never have I met someone with such a kind spirit before, a person with such a loving heart. After all you have been through, all the pain you have endured over your life, you still find good in the world. Enough to want to fight for it.”
“There are people I care about that I want to protect, but the people of this world, no matter what they’ve done or said to me, don’t deserve a fate such as Fallon. He will effect the world if we don’t stop him, and no being deserves that.”
“You are right, Melenthia, and that is why you were chosen for this destiny. The gods choose correctly. They do not make errors in judgment.”
“I hope not, Tomaz.” He patted her on the shoulder. She smiled at him. “I know you don’t need sleep, but why don’t you rest for awhile. I’ll keep watch. I don’t think I can go back to sleep now anyway.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.” She reached over and grabbed Tanith. “We’ll be fine. Go, rest. Tanith will alert me if anything is amiss.”
“Very well.”
She crawled out of the bedroll and sat herself down in front of the fire that Tomaz had kept stoked while she slept. The warmth of the flames touched her face, and she started to feel more awake and alert. She kept Tanith at her side and soon could hear the quiet rhythmic breathing of Tomaz sleeping to her back. She looked up into the canopy of trees and spotted an open patch between them. She could just see a couple of twinkling stars flickering in the cool night. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself and pulled her knees up to her chest. She winked at the stars and then brought her attention back to the campsite. Sounds of wolvins could be heard